Reg: No 352 Volume No. 3732 Tuesday November 14, 2017 Aqrab 23, 1396 www.outlookafghanistan.net Price: 15/-Afs

Quote of the DayIn peace, children inter their

parents; war violates the order of nature and causes parents to inter their children.

Herodotus (484 BC - 430 BC), The Histories of Herodotus

www.thedailyafghanistan.comEmail: thedailyafghanistan@yahoo.com

Phone: 0093 (799) 005019/777-005019Add: Sarai Ghazni, District 3, Kabul

Vice President

KABUL - A senior NATO diplomat on Monday voiced con-cern at possible delays in Afghanistan’s parliamentary and district council elections, slated for July 2018.“I think we haven’t exhausted all possible means to get to credible and transparent election. Elections are the bedrock

KABUL - Wolesi Jirga (WJ) or lower house of the parliament on Monday amended the 20th Article of Tobbaco Control Law, increasing customs tariffs on the import of cigarettes and other tobacco products up to 100 percent.The amendment draft was prepared based on suggestions from the lawmakers, said Amir Khanyar, head of the lower house Commis-sion on Finance and Budget Affairs.He said under the Tobacco Control Law, im-ported tobacco products should be charged a 50 percent tax; however, currently 20 percent customs duty was obtained from them, he re-marked.He didn’t go into details as to why the law was being violated. Khanyar said six permanent commissions of the Wolesi Jirga favoured imposing a 100 percent levy on tobacco imports and three other panels of the house requested an import duty of a 300 percent should be levied on such goods. Finally, the topic was put to a vote and with achieving a majority vote the modification draft was

of democracy,” NATO’s senior civilian representative said in an interview.On the sidelines of defense ministers’ in Brussels, Cornelius Zimmermann told a UK-based TV channel the elections were of key importance to the alliance. ...(More on P4)...(1)

ISLAMABAD - Afghanistan and Pakistan official-ly are now the only two nations across the globe to have reported wild polio virus cases so far this year, though the numbers of cases have declined to historic lows.Armed conflicts, deadly attacks on polio vaccina-tors and instances such as lack of administrative oversight while reaching marginalized popula-tions and anti-vaccine propaganda by Islamists are blamed for the failure to eradicate the crip-pling disease from Pakistan and Afghanistan.“As of 9 November 2017, there are 14 cases of wild polio virus globally — nine in Afghanistan and five in Pakistan — the lowest number recorded in history,” UNICEF reported Monday.Pakistani officials reported 300 polio cases in 2014 and Afghan cases have gradually declined from 80 in 2011.While the two countries have taken significant measures to overcome ...(More on P4)...(3)

KABUL - Parliament’s speaker said the national unity government was illegal as it had failed to appoint a cabinet as pledged three years ago. More than three years after the establishment of the National Unity Government (NUG) President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah’s cabinet is still not complete – an issue that is fre-quently criticized by politicians and lawmakers. “To improve good ...(More on P4)...(4)

BONN - Climate change imperils one in four natu-ral World Heritage sites, including coral reefs, gla-ciers, and wetlands -- nearly double the number from just three years ago, a report said Monday.The number of sites at risk has grown to 62 from 35 in 2014, when one in seven were listed, accord-ing to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which released the report at UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany.Among the ecosystems most threatened by global warming are coral reefs which bleach as oceans heat up, and glaciers which melt.“Climate change acts fast and is not sparing the finest treasures of our planet,” said IUCN director general Inger Andersen. ...(More on P4)...(6)

KABUL - Afghanistan has se-cured the green place in support-ing freedom of expression in the United Nations Educational, Sci-entific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).According to a statement from the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) received by Pa-jhwok Afghan News, a recent meeting of UNESCO organized in Paris discussed the situation of freedom of speech in the globe.The source said that Afghani-stan was taken out of red area to green area in terms of freedom of speech by the organization.This advancement show that ef-forts are underway for support-ing and protecting the media by the public and the government despite conflicts in Afghanistan, the source said.Protection of freedom of expres-sion and journalists and eliminat-ing violence against media work-ers indicate that press freedom is on progress in Afghanistan, the source said.Fazel Sancharaki, deputy spokes-man for the ...(More on P4)...(2)

KABUL - Chief Executive Ab-dullah Abdullah, heading a delegation, on Monday after-noon left Kabul for the United States and Canada, the CEO’s office said in a press statement.According to the statement, Ab-dullah will meet with a number of officials in US and Canada. Abdullah will discuss issues around the achievements and challenges of the National Unity Government with US congress and senate, read the statement. In his visit to Can-ada, Abdullah will attend the Halifax International Security Forum. The statement said the CEO will speak at the United Nations General Assembly in New York about the UN annu-al resolution on Afghanistan. (Tolonews)

approved. It has now been sent to Meshra-no Jirga or upper house of parliament for endorsement.The amendment draft would come into effect after it is signed by the President Ashraf Ghani.(Pajhwok)

Vice-President Sarwar Danish on Monday renewed the government’s commitment to supporting the freedom of speech, calling the media an important value of a democratic society.

Pakistan, Afghanistan Report Historic Dip in

Polio Cases

MPs Question NUG’s Credibility Because of Vacant Cabinet Posts

Climate Change Imperils One in Four Natural Heritage Sites

Afghanistan Enters Green Slot in Free-dom of Expression

Abdullah Leaves Kabul for US and Canada

Khwahan District Police Chief Held Over Bribe Charges

Attacks on Freedom of Speech to be Frustrated

WJ Approve 100pc Levy on Tobacco ImportsPugwash Meeting Postponed after UAE Denies Taliban Visas

NATO Concerned at Possible Delay in Afghan Elections

KABUL - Danish expressed the views while commenting on the new position Afghanistan has secured in terms of freedom of speech. UNESCO says Afghanistan has moved from red category to green in supporting the freedom of expression.An announcement to the effect came at UNESCO’s recent con-ference in Paris. Afghanistan was placed in better position.Danish said: “I am very happy Afghanistan has been placed in a better slot in freedom of expression at the UNESCO meeting. We thank the international organisation for this decision.”He hailed the improvement as a major achievement for the freedom of speech in the country and congratulated the Af-ghan government, academia, culturists, free speech support-ers, Afghanistan media and society.“I can say for sure Afghanistan’s new place shows the govern-ment’s commitment not only to ...(More on P4)...(5)

KABUL - A meeting scheduled to be held in Dubai on Af-ghanistan’s peace process was reportedly postponed after Taliban representatives from their Qatar office were refused United Arab Emirates visas.The meeting was scheduled to have taken place in the first week of November but according to sources, ongoing ten-sion between Qatar and a number of Arab countries was the reason for the UAE refusing to issue Taliban representatives visas. The Dubai meeting was a Pugwash organization initia-tive. The organization has held ...(More on P4)...(7)

FAIZABAD - Police chief of the Khwahan district of northeastern Badakhshan province was arrest-ed over bribe charges on Mon-day, a reliable source said.Wishing anonymity, the source told Pajhwok Afghan News Khawhan Police Chief Najibullah Hajizada was arrested over bribe charges. He did not provide more details.Deputy Police Chief Col. Mohammad Nabi Bayan said Najibullah was already indicted in another case at court.“He was earlier indicted in a case related to Humayon. Today while appearing in the court the attorney officials ordered his ar-rest,” he said.He avoided giving more details but said Najibullah was currently in the prison. (Pajhwok)